Everyone knows that social media has changed the world in recent years. We’ve all heard about the huge sums influencers like the Kardashians get paid for endorsing products. However, what not everyone realizes is that social media has made changes for other, more staid, professions. One of those is radiology. Social media has changed the way radiologists network in several important ways.
One of the most important social media platforms for radiology is Facebook. With Facebook, radiologists can share images, organize events and communicate with one another. Radiology-focused pages on big, easily accessible platforms like Facebook also help to demystify the profession for the public in general. For young people in high school or college, liking a page like Radiopaedia can give them inside information about a career they might like to pursue. Event alerts on these pages also keep professional radiologists informed about lectures, conferences and other professional development events near them. It’s also a way to talk to people in the same professional circles, through messenger and commenting.
The social media platform most closely associated with professional development in any field must be LinkedIn. This is a great place for any radiology professional to maintain a profile. A LinkedIn profile functions almost like a resume. It allows people to list their education, credentials, awards and other achievements. Then, users can make connections with people from similar or complementary backgrounds. LinkedIn is a great professional networking tool. People can share their profiles with new colleagues they’ve met at conferences, for example. LinkedIn makes it easy to stay in touch with these connections. Being on this platform can also help people find new and better jobs, or simply track changes and growth in the profession.
YouTube is popular with the general public for entertainment purposes. However, this platform also has real applications for education. With YouTube, radiologists can easily find news about their profession. Educational content about new technology, important events and other information is available on the platform. Users can subscribe to the channels that most interest them and get alerts when new content is posted. This is another platform that can also be accessed by students or young adults who want to learn about what radiology is like as a career.